The field of the present disclosure relates generally to thermal protection systems and, more specifically, to using thermochromatic coatings to monitor the structural integrity of thermal protection systems.
Thermal protection systems are generally implemented in the aerospace industry to thermally shield reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) from high temperatures caused by re-entry into Earth's atmosphere, or on certain aircraft in locations downstream from high-temperature engine exhaust, for example. At least some known thermal protection systems are formed from a heat-resistant fabric that facilitates maintaining a temperature of a metallic and/or composite structural of the vehicle below the thermal protection system. At least some known heat-resistant fabrics are fabricated from fiberglass, Nomex®, Kevlar®, and combinations thereof.
While generally effective at thermally shielding structural components of a vehicle, at least some known heat-resistant fabrics have a limited service life. For example, heat-resistant properties of the heat-resistant fabrics may degrade over time resulting in damage to the underlying structural components. At least some known non-destructive examination (NDE) techniques are capable of determining degradation of heat-resistant fabrics. However, such techniques are generally time-consuming and may be unable to detect degradation in the heat-resistant blanket until at least some damage to the underlying structural components has occurred.